Sinn Fein spokesperson on Policing Gerry Kelly MLA has said that
many people will pose questions to the SDLP after today's meeting
of the Policing Board agreed a badge, which includes British
symbols.

Mr. Kelly said:

``On the day that Nuala O'Loan delivered her damning report into
the RUC leadership and Special Branch and in the wake of
continuing revelations surrounding the murder of Pat Finucane
many people will be astonished that the Policing Board met to
discuss badges. The fact is that the Board is powerless to hold
the RUC or the Special Branch to account and today showed that up
in stark terms.

``Many people are now openly raising questions about the
ineffectiveness of the Board and the participation of the SDLP in
it. It is now up to them to explain why the Board cannot deal
with the issue of collusion or the issue of the Special Branch
and to explain to the nationalist and republican community why
they agreed to a badge containing the symb9ol of the British
state, something which is outside the terms of Patten.''ENDS